Adopted Children Need New Social Security Numbers

by Fatherofeight | More from this Blogger

11 Dec 2006 03:17 PM

If you are about to adopt or have recently adopted, you may need to add one more thing to your "to do" list. After a child is adopted, his name is changed according to your wishes. Obviously, parents want their adopted child to have the family name.

But you should not stop there. If it was a closed adoption, you need to also change the child's social security number. If the number is not changed, the birth parent can find your child by tracing the number. We do not want our birth mother to find us at some future date because she is a drug addict with very unsavory friends. I thought this would be routine, but it was not for me.

When the children were first adopted, we worried about someone looking for us. I guess it was always in the back of our minds. During this time, a car broke down in front of our house in the middle of the night. My wife and I were asleep. When the doorbell rang, Nancy sat up from a dead sleep and said, "She has found us."

The adoption agency social worker who helped us adopt the boys told us that she had seen this happen several times in her career. On one occasion, the birth parent was even able to trace a child who had moved to a foreign country.

The first thing that the social security worker will tell you is that social security numbers are never changed. I have done this twice so I now know the drill. Take the old birth certificate, the new birth certificate, the old social security card and a certified copy of the order granting the adoption and change of name. Be sure to get the original copies back before you leave.

Then point out that the child's name has been legally changed and that the child's new legal identity has never had a number. Only then will the government employee give you the form to have a new number for your child. If the person still refuses to begin the paperwork, leave their office and get in line to wait for another try with someone else.

They will eventually do it. Having the new number and being able to sleep at night make the process well worth it.

Related Blog:

Protecting Your Child's Identity

Learn more about Fatherofeight

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger

Michelle Vandepas (579) 11 Dec 2006 02:49 PM

I had a similar 'fight' to try to get a new card for my daughter. It took several trips down to the office with all kinds of ID for both her and I. I never did get a new number, just a new card, but we're in an open adoption anyway.

Pam Connell (2658) 11 Dec 2006 03:01 PM

Hi Ed,

We had a related issue with international adoption. Our daughter's adoption was finalized after she had been home with us for 9 months. We did get her name changed on her social security card at that time. However, despite the fact that a 2001 law is supposed to make the child's citizenship automatic upon adoption by US citizens, we learned later that she was still on file at the SS office as a resident alien. (Despite our having obtained a US Passport for her. One cannot assume that federal agencies will talk to each other!) Your point about the number possibly being used for tracking purposes is excellent.

Fatherofeight (2475) 11 Dec 2006 03:15 PM

Keep trying, that is what I had to do. I think that I finally found a really reasonable SS employee and it is all done now. I appreciate both of you following my blogs.

PATTI (580) 12 Dec 2006 12:11 PM

Dear Ed, this is very informative and interesting. Keep up the good work. PATTI

Fatherofeight (2475) 14 Dec 2006 10:16 AM

Patti, thanks for the encouragement.